Loose-leaf binder.



E.B.CRARY. LOOSE LEAF BINDER.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25' IBIS.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

L2QQ591.

I V j 3 EDWARD B. CRARY, OF ABERDEEN, WASHINGTON.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 10, 1916.

Application filed June 25, 1915. Serial No. 36,343.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD B. CRARY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Aberdeen, in the county of Chehalis and State of Washington, have invented a new and useful Loose-Leaf Binder; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a loose leaf binder for loose leaves and the like, and one of the objects of the invention is to provide a trough-shaped binder in which the loose leaves are arranged.

Another object of the invention is the provision of loose leaf retaining bars at the ends of the trough-shaped member to. engage notches or the like in theloose leaves for retaining the loose leaves in place.

A feature of the invention is that either one of the retaining bars or bolts may be hinged and provided with suitable latching means.

Another object of the invention is to provide a retaining bar with suitable corrugations or the like, to hold a loose leaf retaining plate upon the loose leaf.

Another object of the invention is the provision of an auxiliary loose leaf retaining bar at either end, so that in case the hinged loose leaf retaining bar happens to be left open, and the'binder is accidentally picked up, the auxiliary retaining bar will hold the loose leaves firmly in place, particularly until the hinge retaining bar is closed.

In practical fields it may be found that the details of construction necessitates alterations, to meet various requirements, for instance, the hinge connections may be va ried, or the shapes of the retaining bars altered, or the corrugations on the retaining bars may be varied. Moreover, it is the aim to eliminate all sharp corners, so that the trough-shaped binder will not scratch shelves and the like.

The invention comprises further features and combination of parts, as hereinafter set forth, shown in the drawings and claimed.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is an edge view of the loose leaf binder constructed in accordance with the invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view on line 2-2 of Fig 1, in which both of the main retaining bars are hinged, it being understood that one or the other may be made stationary. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on line 3- 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4: is a detail view of one of the loose leaves, showing the notches. Fig. 5 is a sectional view showing a retaining plate held in place upon the loose leaves. Fig. 6 is a detail view of the retaining plate for the loose leaves. Fig. 7 is a detail view of a modified form of a binder member showing a stationary retaining bar and a hinged retaining bar.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates a suitable binder member, which may be any suitable shape, for instance trough-shaped in cross section, and may be constructed of any suitable material, either of wood or other fiber, sheet metal or the like, the aim being to eliminate all sharp corners or edges. Hingedly connected to the longitudinal corresponding edges of the binder member, as shown at 2 in any suitable manner are cover backs 3, which, if desired, may be dispensed with. However, the design of the cover backs is to protect the loose leaves 4. One side edge of each leaf adjacent one end is provided with a notch 5, which may be any suitable shape. The corresponding opposite edg is provided with a main notch 5 and an auxiliary retaining notch 5 the purposes of the notches 5, 5 and 5 will appear later. Suitably hinged at- 6 in Fig. 3 to both ends of the binder-member are plates 7 which constitute closures, which are provided with loose leaf retaining bars 8, which may be any suitable shape to corre spond with and engage the notches 5 and 5*, when the plates? are closed. The retaining bars 8 are provided with suitable corrugations 8, which are engaged by the crotches of the notches 4 in the ends of the retaining plate 4 shown clearly in Fig. 6, which notches 4* may be any suitable shape. The corrugations 8 may be as shown on the left of Fig. 2, whereas the corrugations on the right of Fig. 2 may be of such construction, that after the notch at one end of the retaining plate 4? is in engagement with the corrugations on the left of Fig. 2, the other end of the retaining plate 4: may be forced downwardly toward the loose leaves in such wise as to slide over the corrugations to the right of Fig. 2, after which the retaining plate is prevented from moving upwardly, thereby holding the loose leaves in place. At either end or both ends of the binder member auxiliary stationary retaining bars 8 are provided to engage the notches 8 of the loose leaves. As shown in Fig. 7 only one of the plates 7 or 7 having a retaining bar 8 may be hingechin which case it is the aim to employ only one auxiliary stationary retaining bar 8", which is located adjacent the particular hinged plate. In this case only one notch 5 is utilized. The object in providing an auxiliary retaining bar is that if the hinged plate 7 is left open and the binder member is accidentally picked up with the hinged plate remaining open, the auxiliary retaining bar engaging the notches 5 (which notches and the auxiliary retaining bar being smaller in cross section than the other retaining bars and notches), the loose leaves will be held intact, until the hinged plate is closed. It is to be understood that if both the plates 7 and 7 are hinged, two auxiliary retaining bars will be required. One or both of the plates 7 in Fig. 2 are provided with latching means C, and if one of the plates 7 and 7 in Fig. 7 were made stationary, it is obvious that its latching means 0 and its hinged connection may be dispensed with. This latching means C comprises a recess 9 in the top of each end of the binder member, and in which recess a spring catch 10 having a lug 11 is arranged. The shanks 12 of the spring catches extend through and slightly beyond the binder member, and are provided with thumb pieces 13, so that the catches may be forced in the direction of the arrow a, to release the plates 7 in Fig. 2. The lugs 11 of the spring catches are beveled as shown at 14, so as to ride over the upper parts of the plates 7 in Fig. 2 when the plates are closed, in order that the lugs may engage the slots 14 of the upper right angled parts of the plates 7. The latching means C may be constructed as shown in Fig. 7, in which case the binder member is constructed of sheet metal having its upperpart at one end provided with a spring tongue 16, which is provided with a lug 17 to engage a depression 18 upon the upper 'end of one of the retaining bars 8. In this case, the hinged plate is provided with a small knob, so that the plate and the retaining bar may be forced open against the action of'the spring tongue. It is to be understood that any other form of latching means may be employed.

The invention having been set forth, what is claimed as new-and useful is z 1. A loose leaf binder, comprising an elongated bindermember trough-shaped in cross section, a retaining bar at'one end of the member to engage notches at one side of the loose leaves, a hinged retaining bar at the other end of thebinder member to engage notches at the opposite side of the loose leaves, and an auxiliary stationary retaining bar adjacent the hinged bar to engage auxiliary notches at one side of the loose leaves.

2. A loose leaf binder, comprising an elongated binder member trough-shaped in cross section, a retaining bar at one end of the member to engage notches at one side of the loose leaves, a hinged retaining bar at the other end of the binder member to engage notches at the opposite side of the loose leaves, and a retaining plate having engaging connections with the retaining bars to hold the plate upon the leaves.

3. A. loose leaf binder, comprising an elongated binder member trough-shaped in cross section, a retaining bar at one end of the member to engage notches at one side of the loose leaves, a hinged retaining bar at the other end of the binder member to engage notches at the opposite side of the loose leaves, and an auxiliary stationary retaining bar adjacent the hinged bar to engage auxiliary notches at one side of the loose leaves, the main retainingbars having corrugations upon their adjacent portions, a retaining plate having notches, the crotches of which engage said corrugations to hold the retaining plate against the leaves.

l. A loose leaf binder, comprising an elongatedbinder membertrough-shaped in cross section, a retaining bar at one end of the member to engage notches at one side of the loose leaves, a hinged retaining bar at the otherend of the binder member'to engage notches at the opposite side of the loose leaves, the retaining bars having corrugations upon their adjacent portions, and a retaining plate having notches in its ends the crotches of which engage the corrugations to hold the plate against the loose leaves.

5. A loose leaf binder, comprising an elongated binder member trough-shaped in cross section, a retaining bar at one end of the member to engage notches at one side of the loose leaves, a hinged retaining bar at the other end of the binder member to engage notches at the opposite side of the loose leaves, the retaining bars having corrugations upon their adjacent portions, and a retaining plate having notches in its ends the crotches of which engage the corrugationsto hold the plate against the loose leaves, and latching means for the hinged retaining bar.

6. A loose leaf binder comprising a binder member trough-shaped in cross section, a stationary retaining bar at one end of the member designed to engage notches of the loose leaves at one side, a hinged retaining bar at'the other end of the binder member to engage :notches of the loose leaves at their opposite sides, said retaining bars and notches being V-shaped, said retaining bars having corrugations upon their adjacent portions, a retainingplate having V-shaped notches in its ends, the crotches of which engage the corrugations to hold the retaining plate against the loose leaves, latching means name to this specification in the presence of flor the hinged retaining bar,1an% an lwxtwo subscribing Witnesses. i iary retaining bar adjacent tie inge retained bar and being V-shaped in cross sec- EDWARD CRARY' 5 tion to engage corresponding auxiliary Witnesses:

notches of the loose leaves at one side. ROBERT A. BosWELL,

In testimony whereof I have signed my PHILIP TmRELL.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. G. 

